Structured Spelling Interventions: A Guide for School SENCos

For students who scored lower in spelling

Supporting students with persistent spelling difficulties often requires personalised, structured interventions delivered in one-to-one settings. This approach allows you to tailor activities to the student’s specific needs, ensuring focused and effective learning. Here are some strategies and activities designed to support learners in improving their spelling skills.

Why 1-to-1 Interventions?

Individual support provides students with a safe and focused environment to address their specific spelling challenges. It allows for targeted teaching, personalised practice, and the opportunity for overlearning – all of which are essential for reinforcing spelling patterns and rules.

Check out some structured activities below:

Recommended

Simultaneous Oral Spelling (SOS)

This multi-sensory approach links visual, auditory, and kinaesthetic learning to reinforce spelling patterns.

How to do it

Write a word on a whiteboard or worksheet.
Have the student look at the word and say each letter aloud while writing it down.
After writing, ask the student to read the whole word aloud again.

Why it works

SOS strengthens memory through repetition and active engagement with the word, building connections between its visual, auditory, and physical aspects.

Recommended

Visualisation Techniques

Ideal for exception words that can’t be spelled phonetically.

Show the student the word and ask them to picture it in their mind’s eye.
Encourage them to visualise the word in a specific colour, font, or design, focusing on any tricky sections.
For reinforcement, ask them to write the word down and highlight the tricky parts in a different colour.

Visualisation engages the brain’s visual processing centres, aiding retention of irregular spellings.

Recommended

Look, Say, Cover, Write, Check

A classic and effective method for independent practice.

Ask the student to look at the word carefully and say it aloud.
Cover the word and have them write it from memory.
Ask them to check their attempt against the original.

This process reinforces correct spelling through active recall and self-assessment.

Recommended

Spelling Journals

Encourage students to maintain a journal of words they find challenging.

Ask students to record tricky words alongside example sentences.
Include space for students to note spelling patterns or mnemonics that help them remember the word.

Spelling journals promote reflection, consistent practice, and ownership of learning.

Recommended

Morphology-Based Activities

Teach students about prefixes, roots, and suffixes to help them decode unfamiliar words and identify patterns.

Break words into their morphemes and discuss the meaning of each part.
Use word-matching games to pair prefixes and roots.
Practice constructing words using morphemes (e.g., “dis- + agree = disagree”).

Understanding morphology gives students tools to approach new words with confidence and develop a deeper understanding of language structure.

Tailoring Interventions

Use Assessments to Personalise Support: Identify gaps in the student’s spelling knowledge and focus on those areas. For instance, if they struggle with specific phonics patterns or high-frequency words, prioritise these in sessions.
Incorporate Multi-Sensory Techniques: Combine tactile, visual, and auditory methods to engage different learning styles. For example, use sand trays, wax sticks, or magnetic letters for younger learners.
Focus on Patterns Before Exceptions: Teach spelling rules and patterns systematically, introducing exceptions only when the pattern is fully embedded.
Frequent Review and Overlearning: Revisit previously taught words and patterns regularly to reinforce retention and fluency.

The Role of the SENCo

As a SENCo, your guidance is crucial in ensuring a coordinated approach between one-to-one sessions, classroom strategies, and home support. Communicate with parents and classroom teachers to maintain consistency and maximise the impact of interventions.

Multi-sensory games (7-10)

Online Spelling Programmes for 1-to-1 Interventions

Spelling explained

Visualisation techniques